NFCDCU polling members about fairness of NCUA's new risk-based exams

NEW YORK – The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (NFCDCU) is polling community development members to try to determine how they are finding NCUA’s new risk-based exam format, according to NFCDCU executive director Cliff Rosenthal. “Anecdotally we have heard some very good things from our members and have also heard from some who have had some problems,” Rosenthal said. “We are trying to get an idea of what might be happening across the country.” Rosenthal said a number of community development credit unions (CDCUs) have been concerned about an exam approach that is based on risk since, because their work is primarily with lower income and often otherwise underserved populations, it may often be perceived as riskier than the work of mainstream credit unions. We are very concerned about the linking of low income and risk,” Rosenthal explained. Rosenthal said some CDCUs have been concerned about a “disconnect” between NCUA’s national goal of helping credit unions serve more lower income and underserved populations and the way the risk-based exams may be administered in some regions. Some examiners, Rosenthal said by way of example, might consider a CDCU getting a grant to conduct a specific activity, a risk since they ask what will the credit union do when the grant money runs out? “Obviously they would stop doing the activity or do it differently,” Rosenthal said.